Reality's Touch [V’ler]

The young woman, always prone to sickness and illness, had been suffering a stomach bug the past two days. She had not joined the majority of the Weyr in their celebrations of the newly Impressed, and had hardly been conscious during most of the Hatching. Instead, she had made a lonely trek back to V’ler’s hut after a heated debate about whether or not she would stay in the Healer Hall. In her hand, she had carried a packet of medicines to take; Indivara knew most of them would knock her out, but with the way her stomach was still tumbling around and the weight she had – once more – lost from being ill, the girl did not care. Sleeping for a week sounded magnificent.

V’ler had not been home when she got in, but she was not all that surprised, and knew he wouldn’t be surprised to see her there when – or perhaps if – he came home that night after the celebrations. Indivara had been sleeping in his bed long enough that she was pretty sure he wouldn’t bring anyone back with him, and would instead go to their house if he was that intent on getting laid. It did not really matter at any rate; the young woman changed into her pyjamas – a shirt she had stolen off Ryvian months ago, and a nice, comfortable pair of cotton pants – and chugged down her medicine before tumbling into bed. V’ler would have sprawling limbs to fight against before he got to climb in, and a medically zonked Indivara that would not be in any ability to assist him.

Her medicated sleep was two-fold, however, and Indivara slept through the entire landslide, with minimal twitching; the fear from Veeth, the rushing around of V’ler, the echoing keens of the dragons that were left while their fellows were lost between, all went without waking the girl. Regardless, the thunder of the landslide, and the constant sound of dragons keening had woven into Indivara’s drugged sleep. She slept fitfully and with much tossing and turning in the empty bed, cold sweat matting her hair while her firelizards fretted just out of reach. Occasionally, they flickered between to annoy Ryvian or V’ler, before returning once more to check on Indivara. Their eyes were hollow and filled with the horror of the events when Indivara finally clawed her way to wakefulness.

The sudden sound of keening across the Weyr startled Indivara deeply, and she almost fell off the bed. Gripping it unsteadily, the girl toppled out. Her bladder made sure to remind her how unhappy it was, but the girl ignored it as she pulled one of V’ler’s heavier jackets on over her head to keep warm – she felt so cold! – before slipping her feet into her own shoes and out the door. Turning in the direction of the main Weyr, Indivara took several steps before pausing dramatically. Blue eyes widened, and her already pale face turned a sickly shade.

What had happened? Gaze casting about, Indivara searched for a face she recognised, before the form of a familiar blue dragon was seen. Glancing around nervously, Indivara jogged across the slick grounds, reaching Veeth not long after the young blue landed. Barely waiting for V’ler to dismount, Indivara slipped up by him, one hand reaching out lightly to touch him on the lower back. “Val..?” Indivara’s voice was low, and contained all the questioning lilt that was not given words of their own. What had happened? When had it happened? Why had it happened? Her mind had not quite gotten to the point of realising deaths had occurred, though one look at Veeth should have told her as much.